Evaluating and benchmarking biodiversity monitoring: Metadata-based indicators for sampling design, sampling effort and data analysis

Policy implications: Our study identifies promising developments but also options for improvement in sampling design and effort, and data analysis in biodiversity monitoring. Our indicators provide benchmarks to aid the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of individual monitoring schemes relative to the average of other schemes and to improve current practices, formulate best practices, standardize performance and integrate monitoring results.